A Slow Simmer
by 24isover
Summary: Doyle and Nadia, 24's most unlikely couple find themselves strangely drawn to each other. The ups and downs of their relationship take place immediately after Day 6. REWRITE IN PROGRESS. REDONE TILL CH 6
1. Don't Blink

**A/N: Yes. I'm rewriting this fic slowly but surely. I've re-read the original version and wasn't happy with it. Each chapter will undergo a complete rewrite although the major theme will be the same. I'll replace the chapters as I go along and post which ones have been updated on my profile. In general, the storyline won't change (even though I may be adding a lot more detail in each chapter) and will still lead to the sequel, It's A Numbers Game.**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Don't Blink

In his mind's eye, he was back on that beach. Waiting and listening to the constant gush of surf hitting shore. Listening and waiting for further instructions from Philip Bauer. It seemed like ages before the roar of an engine could be heard above the waves as a small watercraft weaved and sliced its way though the water.

_What a fiasco. _

He could still feel the damp sand cake under his shoes as he approached the metal case lying on the ground. The high pitched beeping emitted seconds after he had opened the component was the last sound he heard before the explosion. He barely remembered being thrown against the sand on impact.

_I lost the boy. I lost the component. I got my eyes blasted to boot.  
_

The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back writhing in pain. His eyes felt like they were filled with sand and shrapnel. Rubbing them with his hands only made it worse.

_Why didn't I let the other guy open it?_

And now everything was black. The anesthesia had taken effect.

* * *

An international crisis had been averted. Over the last few days, congratulations had poured in from Division, District and practically every layer of bureaucracy between them and the Oval Office. _Great job pinpointing the location of the component_. After almost being replaced for incompetence, she suddenly became the dark-haired golden girl of the moment, the poster child for crisis management. How quickly perceptions changed in a matter of hours.

If she were as smart and aggressive as they thought, she would be back at Division lobbying for a promotion. After all, her career might never see this much of a boost again. Instead, here she was sitting outside the operating room, putting on a brave face despite feeling sick to her stomach. In the span of one day, she had been responsible for one agent being dead and another one seriously injured.

_I could have stood up right away. Why did I hesitate? Would Mike be here if I'd listened to Jack? _

And so, the postmortem went on and on in her head.

She looked down briefly at the magazine that lay open on her lap. She'd been here over an hour and had yet to turn the page. The words were just not making any sense. Giving up on reading, she got up and paced aimlessly down the corridor, glancing at her watch every now and then.

_Wasn't it over yet?_ She licked her lips nervously, anxious to know yet dreading the outcome. If Chloe were here, there would a smirk on her face at the irony of it all--Nadia being so concerned for the field agent who had accused and assaulted her that day.

But she didn't hate Mike. She hadn't for some time now. They had worked too well together that day. It would be a shame for CTU to lose him now.

* * *

The recovery room felt unusually cold. If not for the shiver that traveled down his body, he wouldn't have known he was awake. His mind felt cloudy, and all he saw was a milky white blur.

There were voices around him, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. A woman's husky voice, faintly familiar, lilted upwards like she was asking a question. A deep male voice responded, but too softly for him to hear. He could sense they were talking about him.

As he strained to listen to their conversation, he inadvertently blinked, causing a sharp pain to shoot through his eyes.

"Arggh!" Both hands went up to them, like he wanted to claw them out.

He heard a shuffle of feet as they rushed beside him.

"He's stirring. It will take him a few hours to get adjusted to the stitches." The man said.

Nadia gently pulled his forearms back down to his sides. Her touch was warm, a contrast to the cold room. He missed it instantly the moment she withdrew them.

"Mike, it's Nadia. Are you ok?" She asked.

He detected the worry in her voice, but could only shake his head from side to side. His mouth felt wooly, and he couldn't speak.

"Mike, don't worry." She said in a reassuring tone. "Dr Schaeffer is the best eye surgeon in LA. Division made sure that you got the best care possible."

"Try not to blink, Mr. Doyle. Your stitches are still fresh." The man called Dr Schaeffer added.

"Dr Schaeffer, can you tell Mike what the outcome was?" Nadia requested. She saw Mike's body visibly tense up.

"You were very lucky. We were able to remove all the foreign bodies from your left eye and salvage most of your right. With some therapy, you may be able to regain use of both of them."

"We can't thank you enough, doctor." Nadia's voice mirrored the relief that Mike felt.

"No. Thank _you_." The doctor said firmly. "I heard he headed up the team that averted more bombs from being set off today. I'm glad I could help. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Nadia pulled up a chair near the bed and leafed through her magazine while Mike rested. Listening to his steady breathing calmed her nerves; and, for some strange reason, she was able to read now.

It was a while before Mike uttered another sound.

"Nadia..." Mike croaked. It felt strange having her name roll off his tongue again. "How'd it end?"

"We're not at war with Russia." She looked up at him and smiled softly.

"How come?" He asked, his voice still a little guttural.

"It turned out Philip Bauer was hiding in one of the offshore oil rigs. Vice President Daniels ordered F18 bombers to destroy them."

"Josh?"

Nadia could tell he had a hard time getting that word out of his mouth. He was probably still feeling guilty about the boy.

"He's fine. Jack and Bill commandeered a helicopter and got him out in time." She assured him. "But we lost Jack."

"No..." Mike's head jerked forward, like he couldn't believe it.

"Don't worry. Jack's ok, but he's disappeared again." Nadia clarified.

Mike nodded, but said nothing. He knew exactly where Jack had gone. Audrey.

"Mike." Nadia said in a soft voice. "I never got to thank you for your support the other day."

Mike continued to stay silent, but he stretched an upturned palm in the direction of her voice.

Nadia gently placed hers on it and squeezed lightly. Mike, in turn, put his other hand on top of hers and patted it softly.

"Yes. We make a good team, you and I." She admitted.

She could see the corners of his lips turn up slightly as he acknowledged her statement with a brief nod.

"Listen, I have to go back to CTU now." She said ruefully as she withdrew her hand from his. "But I'll be back tomorrow."

He didn't know why, but he looked forward to that.


	2. Smile

**A/N: Rewritten. I'm not sure how i feel about the 'thoughts' part, but i left it in here because some readers seemed to like it.**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Smile

It felt strange to be listening to television instead of watching it. The Discovery channel was running the feature about sharks again for the nth day in a row. The one where a bunch of scientists were lassoing and tipping them over on their back to induce them into a coma. Easier said than done, especially with a great white. He had seen it countless times before and relied on memory to match images with the words. He also wondered what motivated people to do dangerously inane things like that.

Mike quickly lost interest in the show. Animal documentaries were definitely better seen than heard. Listening to the musical score and the narrator's monotone voice was like watching paint dry. He'd have to find another channel more suited to his condition in the meantime. Thank God this was only temporary. _It had better be._

He pressed the button on the remote repeatedly, jabbing it fiercely with his thumb as if that would make time go by faster. When he heard the six o'clock news come on, he stopped. It took him a little longer now to comprehend the words since he couldn't see the reporter's mouth move.

"_... and the death toll in Valencia continues to climb as thousands more succumb to radiation exposure. Vice President Daniels has declared a state of emergency and authorized the dispatch of active duty ground troops to the area. EMS workers and hospitals have been operating around the clock since the day of the bombing..."_

Mike felt a pang of envy. He wished he was out there. There was just so much he could do. Anything was better than being holed up in here.

"_This just in. Rioting broke out near the Islamic Center on South Vermont Avenue as angry crowds outside the mosque started throwing garbage and street debris at the men and women arriving for afternoon prayer. The police are just now arriving on the scene and have started dispersing the mob. Over the past few days, there has been an increase in reported incidents of hate crimes against Muslims..." _

Mike sat up immediately. _Damn. Where the hell is she? It's past six. She should have been here by now._

His hand automatically reached out to the bedside table to find his cell phone, but inadvertently knocked it to the floor instead. He let out an impatient grunt. It was times like these when his new condition caused him a fair amount of irritation.

There was a light knock before the door creaked open. From the click of heels that followed, Mike knew it wasn't one of the nurses with the orthopedic shoes that had just entered.

Setting her shoulder bag down on the chair, she moved closer to the bed and patted his arm.

"Hey, it's just me. Sorry I'm late." Nadia said cheerfully, oblivious to what was happening in the news. "There was so much traffic on the way here."

She noticed that he seemed a little tense.

"What's wrong, Mike?" She asked.

Before he could answer, her eyes went to the cup lying sideways on the bedside table, a small pool of water dripping to the floor where his cell phone lay as well. She bent down to pick it up, guessing that was the reason why he was in a bad mood.

"Were you trying to call someone from in here?" She reproached him gently as she placed the phone back on his bedside table. "Mike, you know you can't use your cell inside the hospital."

She pulled the chair closer to him and sat down.

"Anything interesting on the news?" she asked casually.

"More casualties in Valencia." He replied grimly. "And some rioting near a mosque."

"Yeah. It's unfortunate." Nadia let out a resigned sigh.

"You need to be more careful." He said gruffly. His cheeks turned a little pink as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

Nadia lowered her eyes; the edges of her lips threatened to tilt upwards, even though she knew she shouldn't read more into that statement.

"Oh, Mike." Nadia smoothly changed the subject as she remembered something she'd been meaning to ask him. "Is there anyone you want us to notify that you're here? There's no emergency contact in your file."

She saw his face tighten momentarily before he responded.

"No."

She knew from his files that he had been married, but that his wife and daughter had died in a car crash a few years ago. _He's all alone now._

"In any case, when they do discharge you from rehab, CTU will put you up in Club Quarters until you can get an apartment." Nadia explained. "You'll also be eligible for home care if you need it."

"Thanks. Good to know." His voice was curt and clipped.

_Is that the only reason she's here? To update my files and recite my disability benefits?_

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity to Nadia. She glanced at her watch and almost jumped out of her chair.

_Oh good God. I'm gonna be late. Better get going._

"I should head out. You need to get some rest." Nadia hurriedly slung her bag on her shoulder and got up.

Mike drew a sharp intake of breath. _But you just got here! _

"Do you have somewhere else to go?" He barked.

"Excuse me?" Nadia's eyes widened at his rudeness.

"Stay a while." It was a command not a plea.

Nadia bit her lip; for a moment, she was tempted to do as he said.

"Mike, I really can't stay long tonight." She said quietly. "I have dinner plans."

Mike went very still.

"I'm going to my parents." She added hastily before reaching for something inside her bag and placing it on his palm.

"Here. I hope this will cheer you up."

His fingers traced the perimeter of the thin flat rectangular object, noting the smooth rounded edges on the sides. He cocked his head to one side in a silent question.

"It's a spare." She offered.

"Thanks." He said, a little surprised. "What do you have on it?"

Aside from her music collection, she had also loaded up a few audio books for him the other day. Although she had no idea about his taste in reading materials, she figured spy thrillers would be a safe bet. On the spur of the moment, she decided to throw in a spiritual title as well.

"Music's mostly r&b and jazz. John Legend type stuff." She replied.

He nodded his head to indicate he was fine with that.

"There's also audio books in there. Hope you like Clancy..." She paused for a moment. "...and Merton." Nadia was a little unsure of what his reaction would be. She knew religion was a very personal thing for most people, especially Mike.

"Thomas Merton?" He was clearly taken aback. Somehow it triggered memories of his days as an altar boy and growing up in a devout Irish Catholic family. Merton had been his mother's favorite author.

"I'm sorry, Mike. I hope you don't think I'm being presumptuous or anything like that." With his eyes all taped up, Nadia couldn't read his reaction and was a little worried that she may have overstepped her bounds.

"Which book?" He asked softly.

"Seven Storey Mountain. I haven't read it myself but it had great reviews on Amazon."

"Yes. I've read that one. It's about a devout Catholic who became a Trappist monk." He chuckled. "Are you trying to tell me something, Nadia?"

"No, silly." She couldn't help but smile at the thought of Mike all serene and zen-like. "Somehow, I can't picture you..." her sentence ended with a giggle.

Mike reached out and patted the bed with his hand.

"What are you looking for?" Nadia asked, instantly alert.

"Don't go just yet. Come closer."

Nadia obliged, curious to know what he had in mind.

He raised his hand to her face. "May I?"

"What are you doing?" She was a little nervous and amused at the same time.

His fingers trailed down the bridge of her nose and traced her mouth.

"Seeing you smile."


	3. Vulnerable

**A/N: Rewritten. Wow. Unlike the previous two chapters, this was much harder to redo. I must say the original version was so bland, so I'm spicing up the Nadia/Doyle interaction.**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Vulnerable

Hospital food sucked. Even for someone like Mike who wasn't a finicky eater, it was pretty unpalatable. He reckoned this ranked right up there with airline food and the CTU cafeteria. After taking in another mouthful of mystery meat, he set his fork down carefully on the tray and slowly chewed his food. Mike grimaced in disgust. From the way it crumbled in his mouth, he could tell it was meatloaf. But what kind?_Turkey? Beef?_ A dead weight settled in his stomach after he swallowed. _Probably beef. _

Mealtimes had become a game unto themselves, one of his little mental exercises to while away the time. It was conventional wisdom that one developed heightened senses to compensate for the loss of another. As far as Mike was concerned, that was either a myth or his remaining senses were just not getting with the program. The extra blandness of his low sodium diet didn't help. Almost everything tasted the same when it was doused with gravy, the kind that was three parts cornstarch to one part flavor. It was hard for him to tell anything apart.

Dessert was the one exception. It was always on the far left corner of his tray and, as far as Mike was concerned, blessedly familiar. During his first meal at the hospital, he had accidentally poked a finger on it and was surprised to feel it bounce back. _Hmmm_. Intrigued, he carved a spoon into it sideways and encountered a rubbery resistance. _Could it be?_ A cool sensation filled his mouth as it melted into a pool of sweet tart taste. _It was. _Mike couldn't help but smile. _Lime Jello_. Some things never changed. He could still picture the translucent bright green shamrock jigglers his mother made for St Patrick's Day.

But then again, jello was hard to mess up.

There was a firm knock on the door before a quiet authoritative voice spoke.

"Mike, it's Bill."

"Mr. Buchanan!" Mike unconsciously sat up straight. Buchanan's voice had that effect on people.

"I just came to see how you're doing." Bill said as he entered the room. "Everyone's worried about you."

Somehow, Mike highly doubted that; Buchanan was just trying to be polite. His heavy-handedness hadn't earned him a lot of friends at CTU; in fact, he was even surprised that Bill was here considering he'd only interacted with the guy for a few hours. Mike was sure Nadia had put him up to this.

"I'm fine, sir." He said with a brief nod. _Or as good as I can be given the circumstances._

He could hear Bill's footsteps come closer, stopping as the man reached the side of his bed.

"Nadia said the doctors expect almost full recovery."

Mike let out a nervous laugh.

"I'll believe it when I see it." He said with a tinge of skepticism.

"Well, she's very optimistic about it." Bill remarked. "In fact, she's holding your position open until you come back."

"I guess we'll see how it goes after they take my bandages off." Mike said, not wanting to get his hopes up.

"Listen, I wouldn't worry if I were you." Bill reassured him. "Keep an open mind. There's always something suitable out there." _It just might not be at CTU_. Now was probably not the best time to broach the topic, but he already had something in mind for Mike.

"What about you, sir?" Mike asked. "Have you...?" He felt a bit awkward finishing his question since he knew that Bill hadn't left by his own choice.

"I was over at CTU this morning to fill up some paperwork for my retirement." Bill answered.

Suddenly feeling the need to stretch his legs, Bill walked around the bed and across the room. Standing by the window with his hands behind his back, he gazed out to the streets below. It wasn't even rush hour, but traffic had already started to build up on the main arteries of the city.

"You know Karen and I are moving to Vermont, right?"

Mike nodded. Nadia had kept him up to date about the people he knew at CTU.

"I'm just happy to take some time off." Bill continued almost wistfully. "This may sound funny, but it'll be the first time we've lived together since we got married."

Mike shifted his weight from one side to the other, not sure how to react to such a personal comment.

"Have you heard from Jack?"

"Yes. I bumped into him at District earlier this week." Bill replied absently. "They brought him in for a debriefing on the nukes."

"I'm glad he's all right."

There was a short period of quiet as Buchanan went back to contemplating the scenery.

"Mike." Bill finally broke the silence. "Have you noticed anything unusual with Nadia lately?"

"No." Mike shook his head, puzzled at the question. "As far as I can tell, she seems normal."

"I know." Bill nodded. "That's what worries me."

"What do you mean?" Mike cocked his head to one side.

"Well, she blames herself for what happened to you and Milo." Bill turned around to face him. "I just think she's keeping it all bottled in."

Mike didn't say anything as he processed this new piece of information. He'd been so caught up with his own situation that he hadn't even thought to ask her if she was all right.

"Listen, Mike. I have to get going. I'm picking Karen up at the airport." Bill slowly walked back towards the bed.

"Thanks for the visit, Mr. Buchanan."

"See you around, Mike." Bill gave him a firm pat on his forearm before heading towards the door. "Keep in touch."

Before he left, Bill turned around one last time.

"Look out for her, Mike." Bill said softly.

Mike answered back with an almost imperceptible nod before the door closed shut.

* * *

He turned down the volume as the six o'clock evening news came on. Although he was reluctant to admit it, this was quickly becoming the highlight of his day. His ears were suddenly alert for any sound, and every now and then, his head turned impatiently towards the door, almost willing it to open.

_It's the company, nothing more. Someone to spar with. Plus she brings me food._ He told himself.

There was a faint knock on the door before a cautious voice asked. "Mike, can i come in?"

"Yes, Nadia. I'm decent." He said with a sly grin, knowing exactly the reason for her new found sense of propriety. Yesterday, she had walked in unannounced while the nurses were in the middle of giving him a sponge bath. Her reaction had been a very mortified "Oh", followed by a quick retreat into the hallway and a slam of the door.

Nadia turned pink at the memory. Thankfully the nurses blocked most of the view; however, she did get a glimpse of a pale well toned midriff. He obviously hadn't gotten much sun in Fort Bragg.

She looked both ways down the corridor before she entered, closing the door behind her quickly once she was in. The sweet smell of char and grease filled the room and wafted under his nostrils.

_Heaven. This woman was an angel._

"Mike, I'm not sure this is a good idea." She said nervously. "The doctor said you..."

"Don't worry." Mike cut her off. "Believe me, it's better than me passing me out from hunger."

He heard her footsteps approach the bed.

"Mickey D's quarter pounder with cheese?" He asked hopefully.

"No. I figured if you were gonna die of a heart attack, you might as well go out in style." She said dryly. "I got you In and Out burgers."

"Huh?" Mike hadn't been in LA long enough to know about the legendary local burger chain, a favorite of movie stars and truck drivers alike.

"Only the best burgers in LA." She said smugly. "2x2 animal style."

_Wow. Where did THAT come from?_

"2 medium well patties alternating with 2 slices of cheese on a toasted sponge dough bun." She proceeded to elaborate. "Animal style means it's fried with mustard, slathered with thousand island dressing and served with tomato, pickles, and grilled onions."

_Oh. She's talking about dinner. Scratch that thought then..._

"All right. Get over here." He growled as he moved his legs to one side and made room for her on the bed. "I'm starving."

Nadia kicked off her shoes and took her usual place on the bed, sitting right across from him, with the hospital table in between them.

"One would think they don't feed you around here." She chuckled as she watched him hungrily tuck into his burger. "I should have gotten you a 3x3."

"You're lucky you don't have to eat their sludge. It's pretty toxic." He mumbled, not even raising his head as he took another bite.

He could tell she was eating as well, something crunchy from the sound of it.

"What are you having?" He finally asked, trying to be polite.

"A small salad." she replied.

"You can really afford to eat more, you know." He clucked disapprovingly. "I'll bet you weigh next to nothing."

Nadia rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Obviously, Mike Doyle had never heard of the cardinal rule that men never ask or even imply how much a woman weighed.

"What?" He smirked, unable to resist baiting her for a reaction. "It's true. You could use a bit more meat on you."

"Sorry!" She said indignantly. "I've never heard any complaints before."

"That's probably because you've only dated pu..." Before he could finish his sentence, a scrunched up paper napkin hit him right smack on the nose. "...shovers."

"You deserved that!" She was sure he had originally intended to say something crude.

His smile widened into a grin before he turned his attention back to his dinner.

Nadia beamed as she watched him lick his lips with great satisfaction after the last bite. Although he wiped his mouth and hands with the wet-naps that she handed him, he missed a spot. Leaning forward across the table, she dabbed off a smudge of dressing on his cheek with a napkin, but his head jerked back when her fingers accidentally brushed his lips.

From her silence, he knew his reaction had not gone unnoticed.

"By the way, the doctor also stopped by earlier." He said, trying to make conversation as if nothing happened.

"And..." That got her attention.

"They're taking my bandages off this Sunday."

"That's great news!" Nadia was thrilled. "What time?"

"10 am." He replied.

He heard her catch her breath.

"Oh! Mike, I'm so sorry. I can't be here for that."

Her face fell along with his.

"Chloe and I were going to visit Milo's family at their house." She said in a muted voice as she looked down on her lap. "It's the last day of his shiva."

"Of course." He conceded. "You need to go to that one."

Recalling his earlier conversation with Buchanan, he found it strange that she had never mentioned going to visit Milo until now.

"It ends at noon." She said quietly. "I'll come right after. I promise."

"How are you holding up, Nadia?" He asked simply.

"I...I'm fine." She lied. Since that day, she had kept herself busy with work and caring for Mike; but she couldn't help but feel her chest tighten each time she saw Milo's empty chair.

Mike didn't say a word. He laid his fingers on the edge of the hospital table and slowly pushed it sideways until it was no longer between them.

"Did I ever tell you his brother, Stuart, came to CTU that day?" Her voice was flat and without emotion.

Mike shook his head and walked his hands on the bed until he found both of hers. He could picture her sitting there stone faced, trying to put up a brave front like she always did.

"He asked me how Milo died." Nadia continued solemnly.

Mike tugged at her hands and pulled her towards him slowly.

"I told him..." Her voice thickened as she swallowed a lump in her throat.

Nadia didn't resist as he drew her closer and let her head flop onto his chest.

"You know what he said to me?" She put a hand on her mouth to hold back a sniffle.

Mike kept silent. One hand snaked around her waist, the other stroked her hair tenderly.

"He said Milo wasn't a brave man. He did it..." She cleared her throat. "He did it because he loved me."

He could feel a tear seep through his hospital gown onto his chest.

"I know." He said softly, placing his lips on the top of her head as more tears streaked down her face. "I could tell."

Mike felt her shoulders gently heave as she let the grief and guilt bubble up to the surface. Sensing her so vulnerable somehow only made his own weakness more apparent. It had been a while since he felt protective of anyone. Reluctantly, he released her as she pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ..." Nadia sat up straight and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "You're all soaked."

"Don't worry about it." His lips stretched into a ghost of a smile. His hands were still on either side of her. _Just in case._

Suddenly conscious that mascara must have smeared around her eyes, she looked around for a tissue and settled for an unused paper napkin from the burger joint.

"Mike." She asked hesitantly as she dabbed her eyes with the napkin, wincing a little bit at its roughness. "I know you and Milo didn't get along. What happened in Denver between you two?"

Mike's lips thinned out. He didn't really feel like getting into that right now, so he just gave her an abbreviated version.

"Milo was dating a woman we later suspected of being a mole. He got pissed off because I interrogated her." He said plainly. "I think he hated the fact I was right."

Nadia nodded distractedly as she put her shoes back on and gathered her things from the chair.

"I think I'd better go. It's past visiting hours."

"Nadia." He called out as he heard her footsteps head towards the door.

She paused and turned around.

"Drive carefully."

* * *

**A/N: No, I didn't invent In and Out Burgers. They really are an institution in LA. You can check them out in wikipedia. Happy St Paddy's Day.**


	4. Rejection

**A/N: Rewritten. I figured that Milo was Jewish from his last name. The first segment describing his shiva was based on what i could find on the web. Apologies in advance if this is inaccurate.**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Rejection

Shiva was for the family of the dead. She was not supposed to draw any attention to herself; yet, from the moment she stepped inside the door, all eyes were on her. Nadia froze as she stared into a room full of unfamiliar faces staring right back at her. Curious looks. Accusing glares. Perhaps that was only her imagination. Suddenly, every instinct was screaming at her to turn around and run. Were it not for Chloe grabbing her arm and maneuvering her out of everyone's line of sight, Nadia was sure she would not have made it into the living room.

A memorial candle stood prominently on the console, its light casting a larger shadow of itself against the wall. Mourners sat on sofa cushions laid down on the floor across from it. Nadia recognized Stuart Pressman as one of them. Beside him was a thin woman clad in a torn black dress and stockinged feet. Her salt and pepper hair was disheveled like it had not been washed for days; dark eyes stood out from a pale gaunt face that was partly covered with her hands. She did not look up as Nadia approached.

Stuart acknowledged her with a nod and gestured to the empty space beside his mother. Nadia sat where she was told to, keeping her eyes firmly on the floor and not saying a word. Her hands fidgeted on her lap as she vacillated on whether or not to offer comfort to the mourner beside her. In the end, she decided to leave them where they were, unsure of how such a gesture might be construed.

Nadia said her own prayers for Milo while the crowd recited the shacharit in Hebrew. Although she did not understand the words, she found the chanting and the soft echoes vaguely reassuring. Glancing furtively at the woman beside her, Nadia noticed a faint softening of her face as acceptance replaced grief.

When the hum of voices died down, Nadia looked around the room and locked eyes with Chloe. The red haired woman pointed her head subtly towards the door, signaling that it was time to leave. Before she got up, Nadia turned to the woman on her side and offered the appropriate condolences. Milo's mother continued to stare straight ahead even as she nodded briefly, the only sign that she even noticed Nadia's presence. Even though the encounter left Nadia feeling much smaller than her five foot four frame, she understood and didn't take it against the woman.

* * *

Today was his big day.

Mike opened his eyes for the first time since the explosion. The action stung a little as his eye muscles fought to break the crust that had formed around his lashes. There was a brief moment of success before panic set in. Everything was still white. He quickly shut his eyes again and inhaled deeply.

_Oh God. Please don't let it be like this forever._

"Don't worry. It's natural to see nothing at first. Your eyes will be very sensitive to the light." Dr Schaeffer said reassuringly. "Try again."

He slowly opened them one more time. He could make out some shapes but they seemed to just meld into one another. It was very disorienting and he felt a little dizzy.

"Doc, everything's a blur."

"That's normal. It may take weeks or months to get adjusted."

_Weeks! Months!_

"What do I do in the meantime?" Mike said, despair starting to trickle into his voice. "I live alone."

"Get yourself checked into an assisted living facility." The doctor recommended. "The hospital administrator can offer you a few choices."

Mike's lips tightened with irritation. It was all he could do not to lash out at the good doctor.

"What about my job?" He whined softly as he heard the man's footsteps head towards the door.

No answer. The doctor had already gone, leaving Mike alone with his thoughts.

A few hours later, Nadia lightly tapped on the door. Opening it gingerly, she popped her head inside the room. Mike was sitting on his hospital bed with his elbows on his knees and his head between his hands. He didn't even acknowledge her presence.

She closed her eyes for an instant and bit her lip.

_Not looking good_. She thought morosely as she entered the room. _Guilt trip number two._

"Mike." She said hesitantly. "How did it go?"

At first, she thought he wasn't going to answer.

"Not good." He said curtly.

Nadia sat down beside him and placed a consoling arm over his shoulder.

"What did the doctor say?"

"It's going to take weeks or months to get my eyesight back."

"Oh." She let out a sigh of relief. "At least..."

Mike's head snapped up and he interrupted her with a flash of his hand.

"Don't...ok." He barked.

Nadia jumped at the fierceness in his voice. Something was clearly bothering him.

"Mike, if you're worried about your job..."

"Nadia. Just stop it, all right?" He sounded really irritated now.

Nadia swallowed back a lump in her throat. It had been a while since he'd taken that tone of voice with her.

"Where are you going from here?" She asked softly.

"I've signed up for an assisted living facility."

"I can take you there." She offered. "I'm free all afternoon."

He shook his head.

"They have a van pickup in the next hour." He said flatly.

"Can I come visit ..." She asked in a small voice.

"You've done enough."

His words hit her like a blunt tool across the face. The arm that had circled his shoulder dropped limply to her side.

"Fine." she said dully. "Let me know where you'll be staying. CTU will arrange delivery of your things there on Monday."

Even with his impaired vision, he could make out the droop of her shoulders as her hazy figure made its way to the door. She seemed to linger there for a moment.

"Mike." She turned around and said quietly. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

Mike hung his head low and shook his head. He felt like shit. But maybe it was just better this way.

* * *

Thankfully for Mike, it was weeks, not months.

He took off his sunglasses and examined himself in the rearview mirror of his truck. The scars were healing nicely and his vision was as normal as it could get. His right eye still gave him problems with floaters but that was really nothing compared to what he could have lost.

Her doorman said she had gone out for a run, so Mike left the package with him and returned to his SUV. For some reason, he was loathe to start the engine. He just sat there absently fanning himself with a newspaper to alleviate the heat of the LA sun. His eyes were trained to the front door of her building and grew alert whenever anyone petite and dark-haired approached. So far, each one had been a disappointment.

About a half an hour later, he spied a dark haired woman sprinting towards the building. She was still too far for him to be able to recognize her face. He could only make out the olive skin and the pony tail swinging from side to side. Her jog decelerated into a brisk walk as she came nearer. Finally, she stopped right outside the door and took a swig of her water bottle.

Mike leaned against the steering wheel and squinted so he could get a better look. Yes, it was Nadia. His eyes drank in the sight of her. Her face was devoid of makeup and, with her hair gathered into a ponytail, she looked all of twelve years old. They skimmed through the rest of her body clad in a tank, shorts and running shoes. _No. Definitely not twelve._

After watching her go inside, he figured it was time to leave. He turned the key in the ignition and backed the truck out of his parking spot. Merging with ongoing traffic, he drove past her building and slowed down as the light turned red.

He glanced at his rear view mirror and saw Nadia rushing out the door of her building clutching the package he had left for her. She stood on the sidewalk craning her neck and turning her head from one side to the other as if she was looking for someone. Grinning stupidly to himself, he stuck his arm out the window and waved.

Nadia caught a glimpse of the blond haired man in the black SUV as he waved and drove away. Walking back inside, she tore open the large envelope. In it was her ipod, a CD and a hand written note.

_Sorry for being such an ass. Thanks for everything. See you at work Monday. Mike  
p.s. Hope you like the selection.  
p.s.s. Turn it over.  
_  
Nadia lowered her head to hide her smile. The note itself was worth its weight in gold. Mike Doyle rarely apologized to anyone. She should get it framed and display it on her desk. _Eat your heart out, Morris._

With a puzzled look, she examined the CD that was inside the package. It looked generic enough, probably a compilation he had burned for her. Turning it over as instructed, she read the contents on the makeshift sleeve. She smiled at the thought of him handpicking songs by her favorite artists._  
_

_Oh Mike._

All of a sudden, she couldn't wait for the weekend to be over.


	5. Back to the Grind

**A/N: Rewritten. I quite liked the original version so I tried to preserve as much of it here, but i added a new section at the start and end for more Nadia/Doyle interaction.**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Back to the Grind

Nadia drummed her fingers on the conference table, anxious to find something for her hands to do. She knew she was exceptionally early for the Monday morning staff meeting; in fact, she had also been exceptionally early coming in to CTU today. This morning, there was no burying her head deeper into the pillow nor tapping the snooze button four times before she even thought of getting up. Her mind just registered itself awake and her eyes flew open on their own. She had felt butterflies in her stomach when she woke up, their little wings tickling her insides with excitement. They were with her in the shower, while she was getting dressed, and only multiplied as she pulled into her designated parking spot at CTU.

She hadn't seen Mike in weeks. That glimpse of him in the car over the weekend hardly counted and only made her more anxious to see him. She assumed his vision had returned since he was operating a vehicle. Had his scars healed? Would his eyes still be that same color reminding her of overcast skies? How would she feel when he looked at her?

Morris and Chloe entered the glass enclosed conference room, surprised to find Nadia sitting by the oval table nervously thumbing through a stack of folders.

"Hello. You look spiffy today." Morris commented. "Did you get a haircut?"

Nadia looked down at the table self-consciously, unsure of whether or not she was wearing her heart out on her sleeve.

"Not that you don't always look spiffy." Morris added hastily after seeing the daggers in Chloe's eyes. He squinted and made a gesture with his hand, bringing his forefinger close to his thumb. "Just a little bit more today."

Chloe rolled her eyes apologetically at Nadia. "Where's McNally?"

"He's in a meeting with Doyle." Nadia replied in a calm even tone even though her stomach was tied up in knots.

"Oh, _Doyle's_ back, is he?" Morris remarked suggestively, eyebrows rising. _"_That explains it."

This time, it was Nadia who shot him a withering look.

"Explains what?" A loud voice boomed from behind them.

All three turned their heads towards the door as a short, portly man entered the room along with Mike Doyle.

Morris cleared his throat and averted his eyes. "Nothing, sir."

Division had finally sent a replacement for Buchanan. Physically, James McNally was as different from Bill Buchanan as night from day. While Bill had been tall, handsome and distinguished, James was short, bald and rather rotund; yet, rumor had it the two were good friends.

"I believe you all know Mike Doyle. I'm reinstating him as Head of Field Ops." The man announced before taking a seat at the head of the conference table.

Chloe felt a shiver down her spine as cold blue grey eyes glazed over her and Morris, softening a little bit when they rested on Nadia. Even then, he barely acknowledged the woman, only nodding briefly as he took the seat across from her. Chloe bristled at the snub. _What are we here, chopped liver?_

The smile that was about to break out on Nadia's lips quickly disappeared, and her eyes dimmed a little at his impersonal greeting. It was as if their time together at the hospital had never happened. Now that they were within the concrete grey walls of CTU, Mike had reverted back to his dour self. Nadia searched his face for any traces of the man she had known in the hospital--the one who looked forward to her daily visits and offerings of food, teased her with his dry sense of humor, and comforted her as she grieved for Milo. It was hard to imagine _that_ Mike and the robot sitting in front of her was the same man.

McNally's cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller id, he excused himself and stepped outside the conference room to take it.

Meanwhile, Mike fidgeted in his seat. Even though he tried to keep his focus on the credenza behind Nadia, his eyes kept gravitating towards her. The silky jet black hair, the thick dark lashes resting on olive skin, the pretty pouty lips. He had to admit he was never more happy to get his sight back than now. Mesmerized, he watched as she ran her pen lazily across her notebook.

_Hmm. I didn't know she's a doodler. _

Feeling she was being watched, Nadia glanced up across the table and was startled to find Mike staring at her intensely. Unconsciously, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she met his gaze. Realizing he got caught, he turned slightly pink and looked away immediately.

Chloe witnessed the exchange from where she sat. She placed a hand on her mouth to hide her smirk. _So, he's not made of stone after all._

McNally returned and grabbed one of the folders on the table before nestling deep into his chair. Taking out a pair of reading glasses, he placed them halfway down the bridge of his nose as he perused the contents.

"In case you're all wondering what this is." He waved the folder in the air. "I've asked Nadia to compile the incidents when this office was compromised over the past ten years."

Morris and Chloe exchanged meaningful looks, feeling a witch hunt about to take place.

"Compared to other CTU's, we've definitely had the most." He said while looking pointedly at Nadia. "Our track record's just not good when it comes to keeping this place secure."

Mike saw her face redden and felt compelled to speak up.

"With all due respect, sir, we can't really compare LA to smaller cities like Denver."

"You're right, Mike. Not Denver, even though you did a great job beefing up the security there." McNally acknowledged. "But we can look at DC or New York. They've had about half the incidents in the same timeframe."

McNally took off his reading glasses and leaned forward, addressing everyone in the room.

"Look, people, I'm not playing the blame game here. This is about us surviving as an independent unit. Division is worried and skeptical. It's up to us to prove them wrong."

From the curious looks on everyone's faces, McNally could see that he got their attention.

"Our first order of business is to get an assessment of our weak spots and address them ASAP. Let's make use of our downtime to do this." He turned to Mike and Nadia. "I want both of you to work together on this immediately." He then looked at Chloe and Morris. "And I'd like both of you to assist these two."

Heads nodded in unison.

"I'll need a comprehensive assessment and recommendation on my desk by close of business Friday." He looked at each of the faces in the room once more. "Any questions?"

There was silence. McNally got up from his chair and headed towards the door. Mike pulled Nadia aside as everyone else trickled out of the conference room.

"Hey. You ok?" He asked. She looked a little sullen, as if she was still smarting from McNally's comment.

"I'm fine." She said glumly. _He sure liked you._

Mike sighed. He knew it was a new feeling for her, not being teacher's pet; on the other hand, it was new for him too, not being black sheep.

He patted her arm with his hand.

"Let's work in my office, ok?"

For a moment, she thought she saw a hint of warmth in his eyes.

* * *

Nadia climbed up the stairs to Mike's office with a ream of paper in her arms. Seeing her approach, Mike opened the door and let her in. She dumped the papers on his desk and sat on the chair opposite it.

"Ok. Morris and Chloe dug up all the logs we had for that day. Forensics also has a summary somewhere in there."

Mike went back to his desk and sat down behind it.

"All right. Let's get going then."

He took his copy and leaned back on his chair as he read it. It didn't take long for him to notice a discrepancy.

"Look at this." He circled a portion of the report with his pen as his mouth tightened with irritation. "This shows that someone hacked into our network and downloaded security protocols during the earlier part of the day." He raised his eyes to look at her. "Guess who?"

Nadia leaned over to look closer at the log, a little furrow appearing on her forehead.

"You're right. That was after Philip Bauer was brought in."

"Question is, how the hell was he able to access a CTU computer located in a restricted sector." Mike wondered.

"Well, he wasn't a suspect then, so he probably wasn't being watched that closely."

"And THAT is the problem with this place." Mike exclaimed as his palm hit his face, "Even though he wasn't a suspect, we can't allow civilians to wander around CTU like it was the zoo!"

Nadia was slightly taken aback at the vehemence in his voice.

"My take, anyone who isn't an employee, either stays in holding or is always escorted by one of the guards, even to the bathroom." Mike added.

Was it her imagination or was he getting more agitated by the minute.

"Another thing, why didn't this sound any alarm bells?" Mike was on a roll.

"Mike...calm down." Nadia pleaded.

He ignored her and rifled through more papers.

"Oh wait, it did." His voice was soaked with sarcasm as he shoved the stack of papers in front of her and jammed his forefinger in the middle of it. "Here it is on the exception report."

She sank further into her chair to widen the distance between them. Somehow, he seemed to have lost his empathy along with his bandages. Mr. Hyde was definitely back.

"Dammit, Nadia. One of the techs should have been monitoring this. This is just plain sloppy!" He blurted out, his body leaning forward aggressively.

"Mike, all the techs were BUSY looking for the bombs at the time." Nadia protested as she threw her hands up in the air. She'd had enough of this. Why did he always have to put her on the defensive?

"NO! You, Morris and Chloe were busy, but there were others who were obviously slacking off." It really irked him that Milo spent so much time ogling Nadia and not paying attention to his job. _While we were in the middle of a crisis, at that._

Nadia bristled at the implication. _For God's sake, the guy's dead. _

"Why don't you just come out and say it, Doyle." Nadia yelled back, her eyes flashing and furious. "You think that Milo wasn't doing his job."

"Listen, lady, Field Ops depends on you guys in Comm to give us good info and keep us safe." Mike's eyes narrowed as he growled. "We can't afford to have plans compromised due to security breaches. These are people's lives we're talking about."

Chloe's eyes darted back and forth Doyle's office and her screen. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could see them through the thin stripes of clear glass in between the frosted panels. Mike was pacing back and forth like a caged animal; Nadia's hands were flailing about in the air. Both appeared to be talking at the same time. _God, I hope he doesn't choke her again._

Chloe was not the only one to notice their heated discussion. James McNally heard the muffled voices in the adjacent office and looked up from his desk to see what the commotion was all about. He could tell from the vague shadows behind the frosted glass that there was an argument going on. The petite figure had her hand on the taller man's chest, like she was pushing him back; her head was thrust forward like a cobra about to strike. The man's legs were firmly planted on the ground; his body, straight and unbending.

James wondered if he had made a mistake in having them work together on this project. _Dammit, maybe Bill was wrong about these two._ _I'd better go intervene. Given Doyle's rep, the last thing we need is a lawsuit._

He hurried down the steps of his office and up the ones to Mike's. Without knocking, he opened the door and popped his head inside.

"How's it going over here? I hope this is a productive discussion." The look on his face challenged them to say otherwise.

Nadia and Mike turned around, eyes averted to the floor and looking like school kids caught fighting by the teacher.

Doyle recovered first. Breathing in deeply, he replied. "Things are fine, sir. We're just resolving some differences of opinions."

Nadia chimed in to support him. "Yes, we're making good progress."

McNally's eyes flitted from one guilty face to the other. _Do they think I was born yesterday?_

"Ok. I'll leave you two alone then. Take it easy." He warned before closing the door and heading back down.

* * *

Their _'_productive' discussions went on for a few more days and nights, during which Mike and Nadia were practically joined at the hip. They spent most of their time holed up in Mike's office. Every now and then, Chloe would see one of them descend down the stairs and go back up several minutes later holding a cup on either hand; she had guessed it was coffee for Mike and tea for Nadia. What Chloe didn't see was that they worked late most evenings as well, staying almost past midnight. There was still a fair bit of shouting as they refined their recommendations or argued over where to order dinner and which team would pick up the tab.

On Thursday evening, Mike entered his office carrying two plastic bags of Chinese takeout which he unceremoniously dumped on the small conference table. Nadia was hunched over his workstation finishing up the last section of their report. She had insisted on commandeering his computer after witnessing his typing skills.

"Take a break." Mike called out, "Dinner's here. Field Ops is buying."

"Oh, how generous." She said dryly, rolling her eyes without looking away from the screen.

Mike walked over to his desk and peered over her shoulder. Breathing in, he could smell her fresh clean scent. Was it his imagination or did it linger in his office even when she was not around. Needless to say, he had a hard time concentrating on the words on the screen.

_Get a grip Doyle._

"That section again? I thought we were done." He stated after he forced himself to focus.

"I'm just adding a few things." Nadia answered, trying to keep her voice steady. She could feel his warm breath tickling her ear as he silently mouthed what he was reading. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end for a totally different reason.

"That's not the recommendation we agreed on." His words jolted her back to the present.

Nadia stood up and turned around to face him.

"Last I recall, we didn't agree on anything." She objected. The nerve of the man to think he could just steam roller her to get his own way, "We said we'd keep both options open and let McNally choose."

"That's being wishy washy!" Mike rolled his eyes.

"I bet McNally will like mine better than yours." She said with a smug smile. "It addresses all his hot buttons."

_Hot. Buttons. _For some reason, Mike found those two words totally distracting. All he could think of was that she was hot and was pushing his buttons all right.

It might have been the way she stood, shoulders square with a hand on one hip; or the way she cocked her head sideways, long black hair streaming down one shoulder; or the way her brown eyes met and challenged his. Mike couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was; all he knew was that the temperature in the room seemed to have risen by about ten degrees. Of their own volition, his eyes wandered to her mouth, its perfect shape coated with a faint sheen of gloss and looking very, very appealing.

"Is that right?" He mocked, his eyes not leaving her face as he took one step closer to her. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?"

Feeling him loom over her, Nadia took a step back nervously, hitting his desk in her haste to put more distance between them. She was now painfully aware that his body was less than an arms length away.

"Sorry?" She said as she grasped the edge of the table to steady herself.

"McNally chooses your recommendation, you win. He chooses mine, I win." He murmured softly, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Loser buys dinner."

Nadia felt her face redden, not sure if he was serious or not. _Is this his way of asking me out?_ A delicious little shiver traveled down her spine at the thought.

"You're on." She whispered equally softly, keeping her eyes firmly on his adam's apple, not daring to look at his face.

Mike silently watched her as she uttered the words, his eyes trained on her lips. He felt his own mouth go dry and suddenly craved for something sweet and tart. Glancing behind her, he saw the two bags of take out on the table.

_Lemon chicken, Mike. Think lemon chicken._

* * *

Personally, James McNally was glad it was Friday and that this whole thing was over. The constant arguments next door were giving him nothing but a headache. Sometimes, he was even tempted to bet on who would make it out of Mike's office alive. He realized he had underestimated Nadia. His first impression of her was that she was smart and capable, but quiet and unassuming. He had a hard time picturing her stepping into Buchanan's shoes even for a day. Obviously, he was wrong. Not only did she hold her own with a hard-ass like Doyle; on some occasions, McNally even feared for the guy. _My, the woman had a temper._

Mike Doyle, on the other hand, was the complete opposite--coming on strong at first and probably mellowing later on. Despite what McNally had read in the man's files, he liked the guy immediately after their initial meeting. Doyle called a spade a spade and didn't try to oversell himself. McNally also noticed that he subtly stood up for Nadia when he thought McNally was trying to pin the security breaches on her. _Loyal guy. Good._

He sat behind his desk and continued leafing through the quarter inch thick of bound paper, nodding as he went along. Mike and Nadia sat across from the him and tried to guess the reactions flitting through his face.

"Impressive." He complimented after he was more than halfway through the book. "Your analysis is very comprehensive given such a short amount of time."

His eyes reverted back to the report as he read further. Wrinkling his forehead, he looked at each of them above his glasses.

"Two recommendations..." He remarked thoughtfully, a knowing look on his face. "Let me guess, you couldn't agree on one."

"We thought we'd present both options to you, sir." Nadia replied diplomatically.

"Well option 1 has its merits, but if you ask me, option 2 integrates Comm and Field Ops activities very nicely." McNally asserted, "Too often, you see these teams operating in silos."

Nadia briefly turned to Mike, trying to hide the little smirk forming on her lips._ Score one for me._

Mike said nothing, but just nodded in acceptance.

"Anyway, good job, both of you." McNally praised them. "We'll send this to Division on Monday so they can get off our backs. For now, things are really slow, so get the hell out of here."

Mike followed Nadia down the floating stairs from McNally's office. If he was feeling sore about what just happened, he didn't show it.

"Congratulations." Mike said quietly from behind her, no trace of envy or rancor in his voice.

"Thank you." Nadia responded graciously without looking back. She felt a little more chipper than when they started this project a few days ago.

Once they reached the ground, Mike caught her arm for a moment and whispered in her ear.

"Pick you up at 7 tomorrow."

With that, he turned left and headed down the corridor leading to the locker rooms. Nadia was left staring at the blond haired man walking away from her.

_He didn't do this on purpose, did he? Nah. He couldn't have planned this._


	6. Second Thoughts

**A/N: Rewritten. I know the classic Nadia/Doyle interaction is to have the two of them fighting all the time, somehow I have a different take on their relationship especially after watching the last few episodes. By the way, Angelini's is a real restaurant in LA.**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to 24**

Second Thoughts

"You're doing what?!"

"I won a bet, Sally." Nadia was still in a daze as she let the woman dip her fingertips in a bowl of water. Even she couldn't believe how she'd been suckered into going out to dinner with Mike Doyle tonight.

"He didn't even have the guts to ask you out directly." Sally rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a wimp to me." The dubious look on her face made it plain that she thought Nadia was crazy for agreeing to go out with such a loser.

"Oh, I can assure you he's no wimp." Nadia grinned as woman took her hands out of the water and squeezed them with a towel. _Most definitely not._

"Is he cute, at least?" Sally asked without looking up. Her fingers deftly maneuvered the cuticle stick around Nadia's nail bed.

"Well..." Nadia answered hesitantly. "He's blond with blue grey eyes...kind of boyish looking if you squint really hard."

Detecting a little wistfulness in Nadia's voice, Sally paused for a moment to examine her client's face. She knew Nadia usually liked men with dark hair and dark eyes. Technically speaking, this guy wasn't even her type then, so why was she was wearing this moony, far away look when she spoke about him._ Hmm._

"Do you like him?" Sally lowered her head and resumed painting Nadia's nails with a layer of base coat.

"I don't know." Nadia lowered her eyes and blushed. "He's not like anyone I've ever dated before."

After he had covered up for Milo's mistake, Mike went up a notch from 'I hope he rots in hell' to 'maybe I misjudged him' in her book. His actions just seemed so out of character from what Milo had said about him and what she'd read in his files. Throughout the day, he steadily climbed even higher, briefly passing through 'I don't know why I care about his opinion, but I do' and finally reaching 'I'd be really upset if something happened to him'.

_You're lucky you've found your answer; I'm still looking for mine._ Usually, a line like that made her run in the opposite direction. Fast. She just wasn't into men that required any sort of therapy. Coming from Mike, however, it sounded less like a plea for help than a statement of fact. _That's me. Take it or leave it._ She had no doubt he was messed up, but at least he wasn't needy; in fact, he really didn't give a shit about what people thought of him at all. For that reason, she couldn't get him out of her mind.

As far as going out to dinner with him, there was a battle going on between the two sides of her brain. The left one presented its case as logically as it always did. Never mind that he was Mike Doyle, the man who nearly strangled her during an interrogation; that was already water under the bridge. The fact remained that he was Field Ops, not the ideal candidate for a long lasting stable relationship. There were only three possible outcomes of such a liaison--a) he'd get transferred to another unit within a few months and forget about her b) he'd disappear at a moment's notice to go undercover c) he'd die d) all of the above.

The right one rejected those thoughts with equal fervor. This was one dinner, not a lifetime commitment. What was the harm of going out with him just this once? The truth was she actually enjoyed his company when he let his guard down._ Like in the hospital._

"Um, Nadia?" Sally interrupted softly. "Do you like the color?"

"Huh?" Nadia's attention snapped back to the present.

"You wanted to try chipsnopotatoes. Do you like it?" Sally inquired patiently.

Nadia looked down at the not quite beige yet not quite pink color on her fingernails. This wasn't the one she usually wore, but it surprisingly seemed to blend perfectly with her olive skin. _Never judge a nail color from how it looks in the bottle_. Sometimes a little change was good indeed.

"Yeah, I do." She smiled and nodded. "I like it a lot."

* * *

Mike Doyle stared resolutely at the door, feeling a sudden sense of panic as his forefinger pressed the doorbell again. He had to remind himself that he was a man in his late 30's, not some bumbling teenager, even though the grumbling sound in his stomach made him feel like he was in high school all over again. The last time he'd gone on a date was many years ago prior to getting married. Sure, he'd been with other women after his wife died, but he would hardly count those as dates.

Had the protocol changed much since the early nineties? Was she expecting flowers or chocolates? He hoped not. He didn't bring either. Should he steer the conversation towards work? Anything but work? Why had this been so much easier at the hospital when he couldn't see her.

Sometimes he wished he had just bitten his tongue that night. Whatever possessed him to make that bet? He blamed it on a lack of sleep; after all, that had been the fourth night in a row that they worked almost past midnight. The truth was he just couldn't bear spending another Saturday evening staring at the four walls of his apartment. Granted, having the TV on drowned out the quiet, but now the empty chatter and the canned laughter annoyed him in ways they never did before the explosion.

Mike put a brake on his thoughts before they traveled further in the wrong direction. He certainly wasn't looking to get into a serious relationship, especially with someone at work. He had learned early on that those two things were best kept apart. He enjoyed her company, that was all; especially, when she rose to his bait and gave as good as she got. Without a doubt, Nadia was his only friend in LA. Why should he feel guilty about wanting to hang out with her.

He heard measured footsteps approaching the door. There was no escaping now. She knew he was already here. Her doorman had called to tell her he was on his way up.

_This is it, Mike. Don't screw it up._

The door swung open and there she was, wearing a purple v-neck sweater over black pants. This was the first time he'd seen her in something other than black. Unlike him, she looked relaxed and at ease.

"Hey." She said softly, her mouth curved in a sweet warm smile.

Mike felt something catch in his throat. Thank God she didn't do that too often at work; otherwise, none of the men, including himself, would be able to get anything done.

"Ready?" His lips started turning upward in return.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously.

"There's this place I drive by on my way home from work. It's always packed so I figured it must be good." He explained. "It's called Angelini's. I hope you like Italian."

"Oh! I love that place." She exclaimed and then winked at him. "That's just the best Italian restaurant in LA."

Mike flushed a little bit then grinned at the floor, a shot of pleasure tingling through him at the realization that he had found something she liked, purely through dumb luck, of course.

Nadia was surprised and puzzled by his reaction. He almost seemed shy. Where was the confident, no, _aggressive_ Mike Doyle that she was used to. She decided to test further.

"Did you get a haircut?" She asked nonchalantly as they walked side by side down the narrow hallway towards the elevator.

"Um, yeah." Mike grimaced self-consciously. "The barber went a little overboard."

"I like it." She said coyly. "Now, I can see your ears."

She flashed him a wicked smile as that part of his anatomy started turning red too.

_Advantage, Nadia. Is he really that uncomfortable with compliments in general or just when it comes from me?_ She filed that discovery in one of the cubby holes of her mind, knowing that it would come in handy at some point in the future.

Mike was quiet on the way to the restaurant, letting Nadia do most of the talking. She said nothing of consequence, just comments about the weather and LA in general. It was like she knew he wasn't much of a talker in social situations and sought to fill the gap. He didn't pay much attention to what she was saying either, nodding absently every now and then. Normally, he was easily irritated by chatty women, but her husky voice was pleasant and calmed his nerves. The more she talked, the more he felt at ease. In truth, he could listen to that voice all day, even if it did nothing more than recite the alphabet.

They parked in front of an unassuming storefront trattoria on Beverly Boulevard that blended in with the other small mom and pop shops flanking it. Unlike Spago, Angelini's was one of LA's better kept secrets. Tourists would probably not give this tiny space and its unpretentious decor more than a passing glance, but locals knew this was the place to go for authentic Italian food.

The place seated only about ten tables or so, ten tables so tiny that diners sitting across from them could easily touch noses if they leaned forward a bit. There was also hardly any overhead lighting, only votives flickering at each table. Mike wondered if he had made a tactical mistake, perhaps he should have chosen a place less ... _intimate_. They were shown to a cozy table at the corner and were seated perpendicular to, instead of facing, each other. The waiter took their order and returned some time later with a beer for Mike and sparkling water for Nadia.

Nadia raised her glass in a toast.

"Well, cheers! Here's to getting your vision back." She said in an infectiously bubbly voice.

"Here's to the woman who saved me from starving at the hospital." He responded with a grin, clinking the slender beer glass against her goblet.

And with that, the conversation came to an abrupt halt. Neither could seem to think of anything else to say. Crammed into the tiny space, Mike was painfully aware that stretching his legs even a little bit would cause him to bump into hers, so he kept himself ridiculously still. His discomfort only increased her nervousness, and she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I meant what I said earlier." At his questioning look, she added. "You do look better in a crew cut, you know."

"Reminds me of my days in the army." Mike grunted and lowered his eyes. Thankfully, it was dark, so he was sure Nadia couldn't see his cheeks turning red.

"Is that how you ended up here?" Her voice lilted upward in surprise. _Stupid question, of course, it was._

"Yes. I joined them after high school so they'd pay for college." He answered, then posed a question. "How about you? How did you get started in this business?"

"I wanted to work for the United Nations, so I majored in languages at the University of Michigan." She smiled ruefully. That was over ten years ago when she had been young and idealistic, thinking she could actually change the world. She knew much better now and all she could hope for was status quo. In her job, she sometimes felt like the child in the dyke, plugging a hole with one finger while ten more leaks appeared.

"CTU is a far cry from the UN. What happened?" Mike cocked his head, an amused smile on his lips; he was truly piqued at this tidbit of information about her.

Nadia shrugged. She could see the irony from his point of view. Sometimes life did play little tricks on us. _What we want and what we get..._

"CIA came calling. The work seemed a lot more exciting."

"Any regrets?" His eyes never left hers even as he took a sip of his beer.

"Not really. Surprisingly, things have worked out for me here." Nadia said absently, her eyes suddenly becoming entranced with the tiny flame on top of the votive. Her ethnic background had been both a blessing and a curse, but her career seemed to be on track, thus validating her choice.

Mike understood what she meant but said nothing. He felt her brown eyes sweeping over his face and was a little started when she asked, "How about you?"

'Yes and no." He replied truthfully after giving the question considerable thought. His eyes landed where hers had lingered previously, staring straight into the wick of the votive, right below the flame.

She raised an eyebrow at the non-committal answer.

"I'm surprised, Doyle." she eyed him curiously, "I thought you loved what you did."

_Dedicated to a fault._ That's what a previous supervisor had written in his performance appraisal.

"You've read my files." His lips stretched to a taut smile. "I believe it also mentioned '_ridiculously results oriented_' somewhere in there."

Sadly, she knew that fact altogether too well.

"That I believe." She sighed, recalling the lengths he was willing to go to during her interrogation.

A look of embarrassment washed over his face as he realized what she had meant.

"Nadia...I'm really..." He started out as if he was going to apologize, but couldn't quite get the words out. With downcast eyes, he finished with a faint "It was my job."

This was not really what he had envisioned them talking about over dinner. _Could this evening get any worse? _

"Contrary to what you think, I didn't enjoy it, you know."He admitted gruffly, his blue eyes cloudy with unspoken guilt as they caught hers. "Not with you."

He looked away almost immediately, not wanting to linger on those brown eyes, made warm and liquid by the candlelight. He knew he could give too much away.

She continued to stare at him, her hands involuntarily rubbing her neck.

"Let's put it behind us, Mike." She said softly.

He heaved a sigh of relief as the waiter showed up with their appetizers, grateful to have something else to do besides talk about this excruciatingly painful topic. He watched her spear her fork into a lettuce leaf before he did likewise with his shrimp. They ate in silence. _Like a married couple._ The thought made him chuckle.

Nadia glanced at him questioningly, surprised that he seemed to be in a better mood all of a sudden. He was totally unpredictable, but then she should know that by now.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." He shook his head and looked down at his plate.

Little did Mike realize, their earlier conversation was a blessing in disguise. It served to clear the air between them, and an unspoken truce prevailed for the rest of the evening. They talked about less personal topics, like the personalities at CTU--how Bill met Karen in similar adversarial circumstances, how Morris came back to CTU after a stint as a shoe salesman at Saks, how Chloe was coping with pregnancy. Mike perked up when the conversation turned towards religion and philosophy, subjects close to his heart. Nadia marveled at how conversant he was with the Koran, very rare for a non-believer. For the rest of the evening, there was no sarcastic, opinionated Mike, nor bossy, stubborn Nadia. They were just two people who enjoyed each other's company.

It was only when the busboys appeared with a mop and started placing chairs upside down on the tables that Mike realized how long they'd been there.

"I think they're closing up. We'd better go." He signaled the waiter for the check.

"Wow, we've been here over 3 hours!" Nadia exclaimed as she looked at her watch.

They drove back in comfortable silence, each one lost in his and her own thoughts. Mike pulled into a parking spot on the side of her apartment building, got out, and opened the door for her. As she stepped out of the car, Nadia gave him a puzzled look, wondering why he didn't just drop her off at the main entrance.

"I'll see you to your door." Mike offered quietly.

"All right." She smiled at him as she self consciously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, not really wanting the evening to end yet. She pretended not to notice when she felt his hand rest on the small of her back as he guided her forward.

The short trek from the parking lot to the main entrance, up the elevators and down the hallway to her apartment seemed like the longest eight minutes of her life. She was unsure how Mike would end the evening and felt a flutter of anticipation with every step she took. When they paused at her door, her hand fumbled inside her purse for the keys.

She was about to ask him if he wanted to go inside for coffee, when Mike spoke from behind her.

"Nadia, I really had a great time tonight."

She turned around slowly, knowing that he stood only a few inches away from her.

"Um, so did I." She mumbled, lowering her eyes and licking her lips nervously. "Thanks for dinner."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do because the action only drew attention to her mouth. Now his eyes seemed to focus on nothing else. His hand reached out and brushed her forearm.

"We should do this again sometime." He nodded briefly. "Good night."

Nadia was still shaking a little as she watched him head back towards the elevators.


	7. Testing the Waters

Testing the Waters

The following morning, Nadia was on her way out when her cell phone rang.

"Nadia, It's Mike."

"Good morning, Mike. How are you?" She was definitely in a good mood today.

"I'm fine. Just called to find out if you had any plans for today."

"As a matter of fact, I'm on my way out."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed.

"I'm having lunch with my family and I'm planning to drop by the mosque later this afternoon."

Doyle felt a little uneasy at the thought. Since the Valencia nuclear blast, there had been an increased number of attacks targeting Muslim Americans; but, he knew better than to tell Nadia to avoid the area altogether.

"I'll meet you after prayer. Wait for me outside."

"All right. I have to warn you, though, I'm planning to do some shopping in the area after."

"I'll live."

As Nadia waited outside the mosque, Mike called to let her know he was running late because of car trouble. She told him she needed to pick up a few things in the area and would meet him by her car which was parked a few blocks away. Nadia weaved her way in and out the narrow streets dotted with small shops and street vendors.

After shopping, Nadia headed back towards her car. She failed to notice that she was being followed by three men ever since she had left the mosque. The scarf on her head clearly identified her as a potential target. One of the men grabbed her arm from behind. On pure reflex, Nadia quickly shoved her elbow backwards into his ribcage, eliciting a cry of pain. The other two closed in on her and restrained her arms. Furious now, the first one came back and fiercely grabbed her hair. She watched in fear as he raised his other hand to hit her, _This can't be happening to me_. The next minute, she heard a low thud and he was down on the ground. Another blow and the one on her right fell as well. Nadia was caught off balance and fell on the pavement with her other assailant.

"You ok?" Mike knelt down to help her up.

"Yes. I'm fine. Just a little shaken, that's all."

"You've got a few cuts and bruises as well. Let me just get LAPD to pick up these jokers then I'll get you cleaned up."

He cuffed the men to the parking meter, picked up the torn scarf from the ground and gave it to Nadia.

Nadia looked at the scarf sadly. It was beyond repair. "It was my grandmother's."

"I'm sorry. I was afraid this was going to happen." Mike put his arm around her consolingly. "Look, next time you're in this area, promise me you'll bring a gun."

* * *

"Have a seat. I'll just get the first aid kit." 

Nadia looked around Doyle's apartment. It was practically empty except for a couch, coffee table and a tv; there wasn't even a dining table or chair. He obviously led the life of a transient. The only personal element in the room was a small photo of his family on the counter. It looked like it was taken during happier times. Doyle looked boyishly handsome in uniform, his hair much shorter and his face smiling and open. His wife and daughter were also blond and very pretty. They were a typical all American family.

"Sit still. I can't do this properly if you keep fidgeting." He gently applied some antiseptic to the cuts on her arm.

Nadia couldn't help thinking how lucky she was that Doyle could always sense when she was in trouble. He'd already saved her twice in the few weeks she'd known him. During that day, she'd been steadily losing strength and would have been killed if he hadn't come back to CTU in time. This time, the threat was more personal. God knows what would have happened if he hadn't been there.

"There, it's done." He finished with the cut on her forehead.

His face was very close to hers. She deliberately leaned over and planted a soft kiss on the side of his lips. He jerked back in surprise. His expression was inscrutable and the blue grey eyes bored into hers, as if determining her intent.

"Thank you, Mike." He knew it wasn't only that. She was testing the waters. Her eyes gave her away.

"Nadia...this isn't a good idea." He said warily.

"Why not?" She sounded hurt.

"We work together." It wasn't that either. He enjoyed her company more than anyone else's, but some part of him was still not willing to let go of the independent solitary life he had led. For him, taking the next step would mean a trust and commitment. The thought scared the daylights out of him.

_Oh, Mike. You can do better than that! Even Bill and Karen met at work._ She laughed inwardly. It was a ridiculous answer. Office romances were a dime a dozen at CTU. Who could blame them? People spent so much time at work, when else would they get to meet anyone outside?

"So, why did you ask me out?" She tried to keep a straight face. _Let him try to wiggle out of that one._

He turned red with embarrassment, but chose to ignore the question.

"You're obviously feeling much better. Come on, I'll take you home." _God, she can be annoying._

She followed him out with a small smile on her face.

_He'll come around. It's only a matter of time._


	8. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

_God, is this day over yet? I haven't even had time to get lunch. _

Nadia was busy manning several workstations simultaneously when James called for her.

"Nadia, we're sending a team out for surveillance work. I don't see any of the techs around. Where are Chloe and Morris?"

"They're at the doctor's. I'm covering for them. What's this about?"

"Nothing big. Just confirming some intel we got."

Who's going from Field Ops?"

"Doyle."

"Doyle? It's a routine assignment. Why isn't he just sending one of his men?"

"He said he needed the practice. Especially after his injury, you know."

_Hmmm. Interesting. Doyle's been making himself scarce lately. It's like he goes on the most trivial assignments to avoid being at CTU._

"Of course, I'll set up the satellite feeds now. I hope he had the good sense to bring a backup." She tried to push away thoughts of what happened to him the last time he was alone in the field.

"Yes. I told him to take Jones with him."

* * *

"Mike, this is Nadia. Chloe and Morris are out. I'll be covering your operation." 

"They're BOTH out?! How do they expect you to cover for two people? They should be backing each other up. Seriously, Nadia, what kind of ship are you running over there?" He was clearly irritated at the lack of support.

"They're at the doctor's, Mike. Besides, this is a routine operation. No reason why I can't handle you by myself." _Insensitive boor!_

Mike smiled grimly_. I bet you can, but you're just a distraction I don't need right now._

"Fine. I'm getting bored though. I've been sitting here in the van for almost an hour and I don't see anyone approaching. Can you do a thermal scan of the meatpacking plant to see if anyone's already in there?"

"Where's Jones?" She asked suspiciously.

"I sent him home for some quality time with his family. This is pretty routine. There's no need to have him here as well". _Smart lady. She picked up that I was alone._

"WHAT?" she yelled at him. "Mike, are you out of your mind? You don't know if your vision is fully recovered yet? How can you not bring a backup—especially after McNally told you to do so."

"Relax. I'm not getting out of the van at all. Besides, you already know I don't always do as I'm told. In fact, I get into more trouble when I do." He said snidely.

_Ouch. That was below the belt. Jerk._

"The scan's coming up with nothing. That plant is empty."

"How about backtiming the feeds a half hour?"

"I've already done that for the past two hours. No activity."

"All right. If nothing happens in the next few hours, I'm wrapping this one up and heading back. Might just be unreliable intel."

* * *

It was past 7pm when Doyle returned to CTU. As he entered, he saw Nadia finishing up her report. Everyone else had gone. As usual, she was holding the fort until the next shift came in. He hadn't seen her for days and allowed himself the momentary luxury of just looking at her. 

Nadia turned around and caught Mike staring at her. He turned and quickly headed for the locker room.

"Mike, wait up."

_What now?_

"Did I do or say something to offend you?"

"Look, I'm tired. This week has been packed with field work." He did look and feel exhausted.

"You've hardly been at CTU all week. You're not avoiding me, are you?"

"No! I told McNally, I needed the practice. I wanna get used to the field again before I go and do something major. Believe it or not, having a bomb blow up in your face and almost losing your sight is no confidence booster." He said dryly.

"I'm sorry. I never thought of it like that. It's just, well…, I never know what to make of us. One minute we're friends and next thing you're back to being a jerk and lopping my head off."

"Friends?"He snorted out loud and looked at her in disbelief._ Why does she keep calling us that? We're beyond that._

He advanced ominously towards her. "The kiss? What was that about?" He said softly.

"I told you. It was to thank you for saving my life. Twice. You really shouldn't read more into it." She stepped back as he advanced, until she could go no further. She was trapped between her desk and Mike Doyle.

"Liar."

He reached out and pulled her closer until their bodies touched. Nadia watched wide-eyed as he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. The kiss started out surprisingly gentle but hardened as weeks of pent up aggression and frustration on both sides were released. All lucid thought receded as they savored the moment. They had been playing this game for some time now. Stolen glances. Small words of concern. Each seeking every excuse to be with the other. On the surface, overt hostility; underneath, an unspoken attraction that both tried hard to suppress.

He broke off abruptly, eyes still closed, and took a deep breath. _This is a slippery slope, Doyle._ He muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

Nadia could sense him withdrawing. _NO. Not again. How many more times does this have to happen to us_.

"What is WRONG with you, Mike?" She cried in frustration, her breathing still uneven. One step forward and two steps back. That summed up their relationship.

"You'd better sit down."

She did as he told.

"Remember what I told you about the woman in Denver?"

She nodded, a puzzled look on her face. _Milo's girlfriend. The mole._

"Well, I didn't tell you everything."

A sudden realization dawned on her, and Nadia braced herself for the bad news.

"She and I were involved too. It turned out she was playing both of us."

Nadia felt a sharp pang in her stomach, but said nothing.

"It was about a year after my wife had passed away. I was lonely, I guess. She and I worked together in field ops and became close."

"Did you love her?"

He looked away and ignored the question. Nadia took that as a yes.

"A number of our operations failed successively. Whoever we were after seemed to know of our plans in advance. I lost a number of my men because of that. Division did a thorough review of our security and traced the breach to Milo. I roughed him up pretty badly during interrogation. It was there I found out that he was seeing her too and had let her use his ID."

He paused to check out her reaction. He could tell what was running through her mind; she had been a victim of his brutality as well. God knows what he would give to erase that memory, but what's done was done.

"We traced the leak to her. I was in denial at first. Believe me, interrogating her was no picnic for either of us."

_So this is what it's really about. She messed him up and hurt him bad. No wonder he has major trust issues. _

"You don't think I could still be a mole, do you?" She asked gently.

"NO! Of course not… It's just hard for me to rush into a relationship again."

She stared at him with a questioning look on her face. _Does that mean he's not giving us a chance?_

He cradled her face gently with his hand. "Look, Nadia, you don't know what you're letting yourself in for. Are you sure you really want to get involved with me?"

_I don't think I really have a choice._

"I have a short temper, I can be extremely jealous, and there will be times when I'll just want to be alone. Can you handle that?"

She leaned forward and brushed her lips gently against his as an answer.

**A/N – Tigerlily, JesusLives, LauraSedai, ShadowSakura, Duff89, Hey, Tony24Michelle, Cherazz -- thanks for all your reviews. Really appreciate it. I could end it here, but I may have one more chapter left…**

**Disclaimers: the usual. Characters belong to 24 and I hope they make good use of them in Season 7**


	9. Bittersweet

Bittersweet

_Antonia Croydon. Deceased. Shot while trying to escape custody._ Nadia stared at the face that looked defiantly back at her. This was the mystery woman in Denver. Mike's woman. She was not beautiful in a conventional sense. Striking, perhaps. Attractive, maybe. Despite the unflattering mugshot, she emanated a certain charisma. _What was she like? Why had Mike been so taken with her?_

"Ms. Yassir."

Nadia quickly snapped the file shut and looked around.

"I'm Agent Johnson. I was a good friend of Milo Pressman's. I saw you at Milo's funeral, but didn't want to bother you at the time. You looked very upset."

"Milo was a good friend and colleague. It was a great loss." She nodded sadly.

"I was also the one who brought the evidence to Doyle that proved you were innocent."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that, Agent Johnson." She gave him a guarded smile. Even though she had no idea of his history with Doyle, there was something decidedly not right about him.

Doyle watched them from his office suspiciously. _What's that weasel Johnson doing back here in CTU. I threw him out that day. Worse, why's he talking to Nadia? I'd better get down there and see what he's up to._

Nadia beamed at him as he strode over purposefully.

"Mike, you remember Agent Johnson."

"Yes, I do." _Unfortunately._ His face was stone cold; his eyes hooded and narrowed.

Nadia sensed some tension, but was called away by McNally.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had a meeting." Johnson said absently. His eyes were still on Nadia as she walked away.

Doyle followed his gaze and back. His icy stare focused squarely on Johnson now.

"Don't even think about it." Doyle hissed in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Why not? She's…available, if you know what I mean. I heard she and Milo made out in some hallway right after she was released from interrogation. You must have got her really hot and bothered." He smirked at Mike knowingly.

Mike shot him a look of pure disgust, but not before his face registered a moment of shock.

_Nadia and Milo made out earlier that day? She never told me that! _He knew he was being irrational, but the thought of them kissing bothered him more than he cared to admit.

"You slimeball. Nadia's still torn up about Milo dying to save her."

Doyle's startled look didn't go unnoticed. Johnson continued spitefully. "No need to defend her. You, of all people, have no chance in hell. Not after almost choking her…"

_You son of a bitch. You have no idea what you're talking about._

"I'm serious. Stay the hell away from her and don't involve her in any of your intrigues, or else …"

"Or else, what?" Johnson sneered.

"Or else, what I did for you in Denver can still be undone. I kept all the files." Mike said menacingly. "For insurance, you know."

Johnson turned white at first; then a malicious gleam appeared in his eyes. _Well, well. The bastard had a soft spot for her_. "Oh, it's that way, is it? Toni all over again. Haven't you learned your lesson, Mike?"

Mike's vision dimmed and he reached out to grab Johnson by the neck. He looked like he was about to snap it in two.

"Listen, you bastard. She's no Toni. You gave me the evidence yourself, remember?"

At the moment, Nadia came back from her meeting.

"Mike! I need to speak with you for a moment in private. Please excuse us, Agent Johnson."

Nadia tugged at his arm and nudged him up the stairs towards his office.

Once they got there, Mike looked at her in annoyance.

"You should have let me finish with that pond scum."

"Listen, I don't know what your history is with him, but the last thing you need is another staff complaint in your file. Anyway, that's not what I dragged you over here for." She said impatiently.

He looked at her curiously. She was leaning back on his table and nervously twirling a pen around her finger. Nadia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm being assigned to New York for six months."

"WHAT?" He didn't see that coming. _Could this day get any worse. First, Johnson. Then the Milo kiss. Now this._

"I'll be acting CTU Director there. The lady who has the job now is going on maternity leave in two months."

"What if she decides not to come back?"

She rubbed her forehead with one hand, all the while looking down at her shoes.

"I was told that it could become a permanent position."

"When do you leave?"

"In six weeks."

Mike blinked a few times as he digested the news.

"Congratulations, Nadia. I'm very happy for you." He said quietly. For a minute, his expression belied his words; then the inscrutable mask was back.

"Mike… what about us?" Her eyes pleaded for some sort of a reaction.

"Looks like the chances of 'us' are pretty slim, don't you think?" He couldn't hide the tinge of bitterness in his voice.

Nadia couldn't believe her ears. _That's it, he's back in his shell. He won't even put up a fight._ She buried her face in her hands for a moment and walked out of his office.

Mike watched Nadia leave tearfully. He knew he had hurt her with his reaction, or lack thereof. At that precise moment, he felt a perverse pleasure in doing that, even though he knew he would regret it later.

Nadia composed herself before going back to her desk; however, her encounter with Mike didn't go unnoticed, the pitfalls of a glass office.

"Are you ok?" Morris asked.

She nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. "Something got into my eyes, that's all."

"He can be a jerk sometimes."

She nodded again and smiled ruefully at him. What was the point of hiding? Morris knew she and Mike had just gotten into a fight.

"I saw Johnson talking to you a while ago."

"Yes. What's the deal with that guy? Mike seemed to hate him."

"With good reason. He's a bucket of slime. That day you were accused of being a mole, Johnson tried to stir up trouble between Doyle and Milo."

At her questioning look, he continued.

"He gave Doyle the evidence proving you were innocent, thinking that he would keep it to himself. Johnson then put a bug in Milo's ear about Doyle not coming forward with it immediately. He didn't know that Doyle had given it to me to validate."

Damn Morris. She so wanted to hate Mike right now, and he had just given her one less reason to do so.

"He may not be the easiest guy to get along with, but your Doyle's straight as an arrow."

"I know." She didn't bother to tell him that Mike covered for Milo too.

* * *

Mike was driving home, totally in a foul mood. The radio was on but wasn't calming him down. If anything, he was getting more aggravated. Even the song it was playing seemed to be mocking him right now. 

_Girl I'm in love with you  
This ain't the honeymoon  
Past the infatuation phase  
Right in the thick of love  
At times we get sick of love  
It seems like we argue everyday_

_I know i misbehaved  
And you made your mistakes  
And we both still got room left to grow  
And though love sometimes hurts  
I still put you first  
And we'll make this thing work  
But I think we should take it slow_

_Damn it. Enough of this sap._ Mike nearly tore the knob off.

After Nadia broke the news to him, his first instinct had been predictable. The barriers had gone up almost instantly. After all, what was the point of starting a relationship that would be under a time limit. Regret only started seeping in after Nadia left in tears. Even then, he didn't reach out to her.

_Serves you right, Mike. All those weeks wasted denying your feelings and pushing her away. Now you're running out of time. You have a little over a month to cement any kind of lasting relationship with her._

* * *

Nadia was in the kitchen heating up some soup for dinner. After the emotionally exhausting day she had, she craved for some comfort and company. She absently picked up the phone and called her mother. 

"Hey, Mom. What are you up to? Dad home yet?"

"Guess what? I've been offered a role as acting CTU Director in New York."

"It'll be for six months, but might be longer if the lady doesn't return from maternity leave."

"Of course, I'm very excited about the promotion. I'm just tired that's all."

"Well, he and I have to work it out."

"Yes, I'll take care of myself. You and Dad have to come visit me."

"Love you too. Bye."

Nadia had been thinking about the offer the whole day. Leaving her feelings for Mike aside, the prospect of being CTU Director again was a little daunting. Milo dying and Mike getting blinded were the results of her decisions the last time she had that role. She still couldn't get over that.

_I should be thrilled. I worked so hard to get where I am. Why do I just feel so miserable?_

She put on her favorite CD and sat on the couch, determined to relax. She was exhausted yet restless at the same time.

_This ain't a movie, no  
No fairy tale conclusion ya'll  
It gets more confusing everyday  
Sometimes it's heaven sent  
Then we head back to hell again  
We kiss and we make up on the way_

The soothing music filled the room, but the lyrics triggered an unwelcome reaction. Tears started welling up again. This time, she didn't fight it. She was home now and let it all out.

* * *

When the shrill sound of her doorbell rang, she knew it was him. She didn't even bother to compose herself. Numbly, she went to open the door and let him in. 

Mike stood outside the doorway. His frame hunched in defeat. His face, haggard. His blue eyes, cloudy and tormented.

_God, he looks as bad as I feel. _Nadia thought perversely.

Without a word, Mike followed her in and closed the door behind him. Taking in her swollen eyes and flushed cheeks, he put both arms around her and pulled her close. He kissed both eyelids then followed a tear down her cheek to her mouth. It was a desperate kiss, as if he missed her already. Nadia held on tightly, gripping his arms.

"Why did you come here?"

"You knew I would."

She nodded and buried her head against his chest. His chin rested on top of her head, his arms still wrapped tightly around her. It was so comforting to be held this way. She could hear him breathing steadily while her own adjusted to his rhythm.

"Why do you put up with me?"

She'd often asked herself the same question. She looked up at him and shrugged, the beginning of a smile tugging at her lips.

"Feeling better?"

She didn't answer, preferring to burrow closer to him, her arms now wrapped around his waist. She was afraid he would leave if she said yes.

"I should go." But he didn't make any effort to move away.

Her arms tightened around him. Her head snapped back, her brown eyes flashing.

"No! Stay tonight."

Mike smiled to himself. He had only been trying to provoke a reaction. He never really intended to leave.

* * *

The following morning, Nadia woke up to an incessant ringing noise. Nadia reached for her cellphone on the nightstand, careful not to move the arm that rested possessively across her waist and the leg that tangled with hers. 

"This is Nadia."

"Nadia. It's James. We have a situation. We need you here at CTU as soon as possible. I can't get a hold of Doyle. He's not picking up his cell."

She glanced at the blond man sleeping peacefully beside her.

"Don't worry, sir. I'll get him. He doesn't live far from here."

"Ok. Come as soon as possible."

"Yes sir."

"Mike. Wake up." Nadia tugged at his forearm gently.

"Mmm." He was still groggy from sleep and a little annoyed at being roused so early. He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings and slowly remembered where he was.

"Good morning."

He grabbed her playfully and planted a kiss at the back of her neck. At the same time, he ran his hand up and down her arm, feeling the goose bumps that appeared.

She caught his hand and stopped him regretfully.

"Mike, please, we need to be at CTU right away. McNally just called. There's a situation. He couldn't reach you on your cell."

"Damn! I must have left it in the car." He got up, grabbed his clothes from the pile on the floor and looked at her questioningly.

"There's another bathroom across the hall. You can shower and change there."

"Fine."

After she herself got showered and dressed, she found him waiting for her in the living room. He had just finished talking to McNally.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

As she reached for her car keys on the hallway console, he put his hand over hers to stop her.

"No. Let's take my car."

"But…"

"I already told McNally we're going together."

"Did he give you any more info on the situation?"

"Yeah. There's been some intel on an arms shipment that came in last night. It's supposed to change hands in a few hours. We'll have to stop that exchange."

During the drive over to CTU, Mike was on the phone with his team going over their plans.

"Are you going to be ok in the field, Mike?" The thought disturbed Nadia. _Would it always feel like this when he was out in the field?_

"We'll see, won't we." Mike was staring straight ahead on the road. He was a little nervous as well. He didn't know how much of his depth perception was impacted by the blast.

* * *

Once they arrived at CTU, they had a brief meeting with McNally and went their separate ways – Nadia to comm and Mike to the locker room to suit up and assemble his team. 

"Morris, are all the satellites up?"

"Yes. We're all set. Now we just wait for Field Ops to leave and get there."

With everything under control, Nadia took a moment and headed for the locker room. Mike had just finished briefing his team and was getting ready to leave. As the men trickled out, he saw her standing just outside the doorway in the shadows, a troubled look on her face.

"Hey. Stop worrying. I'll be ok."

She sighed and came closer, raising a hand tentatively to caress his cheek.

"Be careful, Mike."

He turned his face and placed a brief kiss on the inside of her palm.

"I have to go."

For the remainder of the day, Nadia listened attentively to the comms channels and coordinated the information flow to Field Ops. In a few hours, the operation was over and the team returned to CTU. The look of relief on her face was visible as she saw Doyle and his team walk in unharmed.

He glanced her way, nodded briefly in acknowledgment, and disappeared with the rest of his team into the locker room. As he changed back into civilian clothes, his thoughts recalled night before. He smiled to himself. _So much for not getting involved. Face it, Mike. After last night, you're committed._

By the time he came back for her, she was finishing up her report.

"Are you almost done?"

"Just about. Give me a minute to shut down. How was it being back in the field?"

"It wasn't as bad as I thought. I didn't notice much of a difference."

"I'm glad you're ok."

"Hurry up. Let's go home."

* * *

**A/N – I thought I could fit the ending in one chapter, but it's already so long that I'll have to add an Epilogue just for closure….**

**Tigerlily, JesusLives, LauraSedai, ShadowSakura, Duff89, Hey, Cherazz, Tony24Michelle, Alycat, 24isthebest, Dr Alice**

**Thanks again for the reviews. Appreciate all your suggestions and comments. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter.  
**

**Disclaimers: **

**Characters: Characters belong to 24 and I really really hope they're back in Season 7**

**Lyrics are from the song Ordinary People by John Legend **


	10. Au Revoir

Au Revoir

It was getting harder to keep their relationship under wraps at work. Even though they consciously avoided any public display of affection, other incidents gave them away.

Early one morning, McNally bumped into them at the parking lot. He simply raised an eyebrow as he saw Nadia climbing out of Doyle's car. Doyle nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing. Nadia managed a small smile but kept mum as well, averting her eyes as she walked past him. He smiled as he recalled putting the two of them on a project together. _So much for being afraid that they would come to blows. Maybe I had a hand in this. _He thought smugly to himself.

There were stares and whispers as they entered CTU together that morning. Morris looked knowingly at Chloe, then cleared his throat and busied himself as Nadia approached. Chloe started typing furiously on her keyboard even though her beady eyes followed Doyle as he headed up to his office. Her keen mind quickly noted that Doyle was wearing the same clothes as the day before.

As the weeks progressed, even the Field Ops team came to expect Nadia's visit before Doyle went on each operation. In deference to the two, they would make themselves scarce immediately. Doyle would catch up with them a few minutes later, a little flushed and embarrassed. Of course, no one dared mention anything to him, even as a joke.

Mike settled comfortably into LA CTU. He found the staff here much more trustworthy, and there was little of the office politics he had to endure in the snake pit that was Denver. He had struck an odd truce with Morris, knowing that Nadia confided in him whenever they fought. He even became friends with Chloe, enjoying the sarcastic barbs he traded with her.

* * *

Six weeks passed by quickly. Towards the end, Mike had practically moved in with Nadia, and both were inseparable. 

For Mike, Nadia was a mystery. Despite the hostility of their initial encounter, she became inexplicably drawn to him throughout that day. She had patiently nurtured him during his injury, quietly determined to break down his barriers over time. It hadn't been all bliss that was for sure. He would often get extremely annoyed when she was being stubborn and by the book; however, a sweet smile and an apologetic look was all it took to erase his exasperation. She clearly had him wrapped around her little finger.

As for Nadia, Mike was her rock. When she had doubts about her new role, he unselfishly talked her out of turning it down and reassured her she was up for it. When she worried about the distance that would separate them, he promised her that they would work it out. However, more time with him also meant more fights. Of all his moods, she hated the periods of unresponsiveness the most. She would get very upset and frustrated, often provoking him until she got the reaction she wanted.

Mike looked down at the sleeping figure breathing evenly beside him. Her head rested comfortably on his chest; her arms wrapped loosely around his middle. He brushed away a lock of hair that fell on her cheek and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He would miss her. He would miss this.

* * *

"Last call for American Airlines flight number 40 to JFK. Please proceed to gate 52." 

He took a deep breath. He hadn't realized his hand was gripping hers so tightly until he looked down and saw her knuckles were white. Apparently, she hadn't noticed nor complained either.

"I guess this is it."

"You're coming weekend after next, right?" Her brown eyes searched his for reassurance.

"Flight's already booked." He grinned.

"Don't get shot while I'm gone, ok?" She said half jokingly.

"Don't fall for anyone over there, ok?" He mocked half seriously.

She kept reminding herself that this was only temporary. With any luck, it would only be for a few months.

"Before I forget, this is for you."

He handed her a flat square orange box with a brown ribbon. She looked at him in surprise.

"Open it."

Nadia untied the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a black silk scarf. She looked up at him speechless.

"I know it can't replace your grandmother's, but…"

She pulled his head down for a kiss. Mike closed his eyes and relished every bit. This would have to last him for a while.

"Excuse me, miss. We're closing the gates."

Nadia gave him a brief look and squeezed his hand goodbye. She turned and left, willing herself not to look back lest she lose her resolve.

Mike watched her disappear inside the gate. His gaze was pensive as he absently dialed a number on his cell phone.

"BXJ Technologies, New York."

"Hi, May I speak with Bill Buchanan, please."

"May I tell him who is calling?"

"Mike Doyle."

"One moment, please… Sir, Mr. Buchanan's not in today, but Mr. Bauer is here and would like to speak with you. Please hold while I connect you."

"Bauer."

"Jack, it's Doyle."

"Mike. Good to hear from you. Have you thought about our offer?"

"Yes. I'm in."

"Great. Chloe and Morris have accepted as well. As we discussed, they'll be reporting to you. We'll get the ball rolling on the relocation arrangements for all of you to move here to New York. Glad to have you on board."

* * *

**A/N - I made a slight revision to make the ending more clear...thanks for the feedback LauraSedai & ShadowSakura...**

**And this sets the stage for all our favorite characters to be back in Season 7, which I hope will be in NYC.  
**

**Everyone, ****thanks again for all your reviews! Have a great summer and write more great Nadia/Doyle stories pls. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing them.**

**Disclaimers: **

**Characters belong to 24**


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